The six times Volvo OR and Whitbread Round the World Race competitor, who died last week aged just 64 years.

Emirates Team NZ's Grant Dalton competed against Magnus Olsson in five round the world races and added his thoughts on www.etnzblog.com:

'Today the sport lost one of its greatest. Today I lost a very good friend and so did many others of us at Emirates Team New Zealand. Magnus Olsson, the kindest guy I ever knew. The biggest smile I ever saw, the loudest laugh I ever heard.

'When people think of personalities of the Whitbread and the Volvo Ocean Race they think of Conny and Peter but for me Magnus was the Whitbread Race. I sailed against him five times; we became good friends.

'But that wasn’t at all unique Every one was his friend. You will not hear, in the days that follow, one single word about Magnus or sentence written that is not filled with admiration for this happy, smart, resilient and determined guy. He was EF Language, Ericison, Intrum – he was the round the world race as I know it.

'To Magnus’s family, we at Emirates Team New Zealand send all our love and sympathy, sailing is a sadder place today and in the future. We have been blessed to know him, and I personally will mourn his loss for a long time. Rest in peace my old mate.'

For EDITORIAL USE only, please credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race
Skipper Magnus Olsson onboard Ericsson 3, on leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Singapore to Qingdao, China
The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008, it will, for the first time, take in Cochin, India, Singapore and Qingdao, China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia for the first time in the history of the race. Spann